WISCONSIN — The Mount Horeb Area School District will receive nearly $120,000 in federal funding to for mental health support following the shooting at the school in May, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin announced Tuesday.
Specifically, the money will go toward hiring a school social worker and supporting student recovery with trauma-informed education literature, training and conferences for all staff.
“Schools should be safe, nurturing environments for students to learn and grow, but sadly, earlier this year, Mount Horeb became one of the too many schools impacted by gun violence,” said Baldwin in a press release. “We can and must do more to prevent these senseless acts of gun violence, but, if one of our communities is struck by tragedy, we also need to be there to support our children, teachers, and families recover afterward. I am proud to have worked with the Mt. Horeb community to ensure they have access to the mental health and trauma-informed recovery services needed to respond and move forward.”
On May 1, 2024, a male student enrolled in the Mount Horeb Area School District was outside of with a weapon, which prompted a lockdown for hours. The student was not able to enter the school and police arrived after the suspect was reported.
Officers asked the subject to drop the weapon, but the suspect did not comply and pointed the weapon at officers. Officers then shot and killed the suspect.
When the suspect would not drop his weapon after being asked by police, the officers shot and killed the suspect.
No one else was injured as a result of the incident, but many were shaken.
The new funding to support recovery efforts is provided under the U.S. Department of Education School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) program, which helps fund services to help education groups recover from violent or traumatic events.
Baldwin helped connect the district with the federal support.
“We are incredibly grateful for the Department of Education’s help in bolstering our District’s support systems for both staff and students. This funding will further enable us to invest in professional development and a dedicated social worker position, fostering an even greater sense of community and belonging within Mount Horeb Area School District. The responses our staff and families provided to our Post-May 1 Planning Survey were essential in crafting a comprehensive system of support,” said Dr. Steve Salerno, superintendent of Mount Horeb Area School District, in a press release.